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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256788">Be Not Afraid</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pen_Dragon/pseuds/The_Pen_Dragon'>The_Pen_Dragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluffy, Hurt/Comfort, Just lots of Akira giving Goro love and care like he deserves, M/M, Morgana is a supportive cat, Soft Goro Week 2020, age regression to some extent, anxiety attack, goro regresses a bit when he gets too panicky, starts out a little angsty but gets nice and soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:14:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,976</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pen_Dragon/pseuds/The_Pen_Dragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Goro has suffered from night terrors most of his life. Luckily for him, Akira is there to help him through. He's not alone anymore, and he never has to be again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>203</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be Not Afraid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A nice soft hurt/comfort fic for SoftGoroWeek2020! I've never been a part of an event like this before, and I'm a little late to the party (comin' in at day 3) but it's a great group of people, and this is a fantastic event!</p><p>The prompt for day 3 was sleep/dreams, and I felt like this fit pretty well!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Goro feels as though he's drowning. The air is cold and crushing, offering him no reprieve, no chance to take a breath. It presses on his chest, heavy and suffocating. And pulls him once more into a dream of crimson eyes. When he awakens, it's tangled in the bedsheets, panicked and dazed. He gasps loudly for air, evidently holding his breath in his sleep, and tumbles gracelessly off the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lands in a pile on the ground, breaths shallow and eyes wild, trying to adjust to the dim light filtering in from the starry night outside. His nightmares have grown fewer and farther between over the years, but when he has one, it's still a devastating blow to his emotional stability. And dreaming of his mother is always the worst.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira isn't in the room, the bed is empty when Goro climbs back into the sheets, and this only panics him more. He feels scared and unsteady, and retreats under the blankets, wrapping himself in the warmth to try and calm himself. Morgana, who had been sleeping at the end of the bed, is awake now, and approaches Goro with concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," he greets carefully, pawing at where Goro has cocooned himself in the covers. Curled with his back pressing against the wall. "Goro, did something happen..?" The feline asks carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro shakes his head, then nods halfway, then looks around again, still feeling overwhelmingly dizzy. The invisible weight is pressing in from all sides, and the voices that are usually so quiet are beginning to act up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mona…" Goro mumbles, whining softly as he grabs the creature, pulling him tight against his chest, "where...where's Akira? I-did he leave? Where did he go?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morgana grunts, wiggling in Goro's grip, but not trying to escape it. He knows about Goro's episodes, and has, to Goro's surprise and appreciation, always put up with Goro's somewhat rough handling when he's like this. "It's okay-oww… Goro, hey, try to settle down, okay? Akira is just in the restroom, he'll be back in a minute."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro nuzzles his face into Morgana's fur, his anxiety at least somewhat lessened by the cat's reassuring words, "Mm...he's coming back..?" He asks, knowing it's a dumb question, but wanting reassurance anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes," Morgana replies, paws patting against Goro's arm, "It's okay. Did you have a nightmare again? Try to remember that it was just a dream, okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro nods slowly, "I know that… I'm… I'm a grown up. I know dreams aren't real." He thinks himself almost pathetic when he gets like this, trembling and cowering from what is little more than fiction mixed with his paranoia. He's in his mid twenties, and he's been through these episodes countless times, but they're still never easy. He's grateful that neither Akira nor Morgana ever treat him like he's just being stupid, even when he himself thinks he is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opens quietly, and Goro reflexively shrinks further back into the covers, arms curling tighter around Morgana. The cat meows quietly, wriggling again, and Akira walks into view. Goro visibly relaxes when he sees Akira, letting go of Morgana in favor of reaching out for his partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akira," he breathes out, sounding far more desperate than he intended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira looks at him, clearly surprised to see him awake, "Goro? It's three in the morning, why are you awake..?" he asks gently, clearly already having some idea of why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morgana hops out of Goro's lap, moving so Akira can fill his spot, "he had another nightmare," the cat explains, "I'll let you two have some space."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira nods, thanking the cat as he sits on the bed in front of Goro, pulling him into his arms. Goro latches onto him instantly, arms winding around his middle as he buries his face into Akira's shoulder. He breathes him in for a moment, letting the familiar scent peel away another layer of anxiety. He feels afraid, unsteady, and the weight won't leave his chest, but as soon as Akira is around him, murmuring comforts and rubbing his back, he instinctively tries to push back away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can't help it. Goro is the one who reached out, he desperately needs this comfort, the knowledge that he is loved and cared for, but as soon as he has it, he always panics in a new, entirely different way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shakily pushes back, slowly unwinding his arms from Akira as he looks away, "S-sorry. It was just a bad dream, I'm okay," he lies. And if he were still eighteen, having an internal breakdown in Akira's attic while simultaneously pushing Akira away, it might have worked. But he isn't eighteen anymore, and Akira is used to his weak lies and knee-jerk rejection to being shown love.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira's hands slide up, cupping Goro's face and gently rubbing circles against his temples, "what has doctor Hirota said about pushing people away?" he chides softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro grumbles quietly, not really saying anything, and flops forward, burying his face into Akira's chest. His hands are still shaky around his middle, but he knows Akira won't back down until he lets himself be comforted. "...I feel dumb," he says, muffled against Akira.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira's hands are on his back, gently rubbing a figure eight from top to bottom, a motion Goro's mother used to comfort him with. Akira knows this, and Goro thinks it's unfair that he always uses it, making his walls crumble and stripping away whatever masks he's failed to build up in time. Goro whines loudly, trembling as tears prick his eyes. His fingers curl against Akira's shirt as Akira draws the shoddily repressed emotion out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't need to hide," Akira says gently, "you're safe here, you're loved, and you're allowed to be vulnerable."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's something he has to be told every time, and every time, as if all he needs is permission to break down, he does. His legs wind around Akira with as much force as his arms, sobbing heavily against him. His breaths are shaky and shallow as he cries, the weight in his chest finally lessening as he pours all his emotion out against the one person in the world he trusts most. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira just holds him, continuing that motion against his back, his other hand petting Goro's head, fingers trailing tenderly through silky locks. Goro's breaths begin to steady after a few minutes, and his sobs turn to a much softer crying, one he's able to get a few words out through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"'kira...mh...t-tissue…" he mumbles against him, not wanting to move his face until he can clean the snotty mess off of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira lets out a soft chuckle, and Goro feels a tissue nudge his arm. He takes it, wiping his face before finally looking up, meeting Akira's gaze. "...thank you…" he says quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course," Akira replies, pressing a loving kiss to his forehead, "do you want to talk about it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro shakes his head, "uh-uh. Was jus…'bout momma…" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira nods in understanding, one hand continuing to pet Goro's hair, "do you want to watch some tv, and get your mind off of things?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro shifts in Akira's lap, a little embarrassed to ask, "...and um… you'll… keep holding me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira tucks a lock of hair behind Goro's ear, smiling at him warmly, "I'd never dream of letting go."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro throws his arms around Akira's neck, holding him tight and saying nothing for a moment. He still can't really think rationally, and is more or less running on emotion entirely. All he can think about right now is how safe and warm Akira feels. He loves him so much, he can't even find the right words. So he just presses a kiss to his cheek and mumbles a soft, "love you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira's grip is steady as he hooks one arm under Goro's butt, scooping the slightly taller man up, carrying him like one might carry a child, out to their living room. Goro loves being carried this way, though he doesn't usually ask for it. Somehow Akira just knows, he always seems to know what Goro will find comforting. A lot of trial and error, more than likely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He buries his face back into the crook of Akira's neck, sighing contentedly as he's carried to the couch, "am I heavy?" he asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not too heavy," Akira replies, setting the brunette on the couch, "I can at least carry you this far."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro whines as Akira detangles himself from him, walking to the tv, "noo! Where are you going?" Goro asks, reaching back out for Akira the second he moves away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's alright," Akira assures him patiently, "I'm just putting in a movie. I'll be right back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro draws his knees to his chest, saying nothing else, feeling the anxiety start to creep back the longer he wasn't physically pressed against Akira. He's not gone long, however, and as soon as he sits next to Goro, the brunette throws himself into Akira's lap. The raven haired man smiles down at him fondly, rubbing Goro's chest lovingly as he turns the tv on. Goro settles comfortably against him, his head resting in his lap, relaxing as the old Featherman movie Akira picked out drives the darker thoughts from his mind. Akira pulls a blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over Goro before settling more comfortably himself. He sits quietly with Goro, one hand playing with his hair, contentedly watching the movie with him until the brunette drifts back to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro wakes up back in his and Akira's shared bed, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Akira's arms are around him, and he smiles as he realizes he's still safely tucked against his body. He snuggles closer, pressing a soft kiss to Akira's lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akira, my love," he hums softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira shifts, stretching a bit as his eyes crack open, "Mm?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro makes a happy little sound, reaching up to cup Akira's face and kiss him more fully. "Good morning."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira laughs softly, kissing him back, "good morning to you too. I take it you're feeling a bit better?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro flushes pink, glancing away, "yes, I am feeling myself again. I'm… so sorry you had to deal with that… again…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira slides one hand back up into Goro's hair, scritching his nails lightly against his scalp, "hey now, I've told you before, you don't need to apologize. You're always there for me when I have my episodes, and you don't mind that, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro's eyes go lidded, enjoying the gentle scratching against his head, "mmm, of course I don't. I love you, and I'd never let you endure that on your own."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then that's your answer, isn't it?" Akira replies sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I...suppose," Goro replies, "...well, it really helped me a lot. So… thank you again. At least let me treat you to breakfast?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you cooking..?" Akira asks nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro huffs, gently butting his head against Akira, "no, asshole. There's a nice place near my work, and I've been meaning to bring you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akira laughs, "that sounds nice, and it's not my fault you almost singed off your own eyebrows the last time you cooked."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stay like that for a while, discussing breakfast and gently teasing, and Goro thinks how wonderfully lucky he is. Things aren't perfect, and he and Akira both have more than their share of traumas, but they have each other. And Goro is so wonderfully happy right now, so content in his life, knowing that the times when he does slip, Akira will be there to catch him. And every time, he gets a little more used to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time, he starts to believe a little bit more that he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> cared for, and that maybe he deserves this amazing, warm, wonderful love Akira so adamantly gives him. </span>
</p>
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